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Monday, October 29, 2007

"Terminal Velocity" was the peak of Mark Waid's critically acclaimed run (so to speak) chronicling the adventures of The Fastest Man Alive. The storyline originally ran in Flash #0 and #s 95-100, but is readily available in trade paperback via Amazon. (Waid has recently returned to writing Flash, but the last couple of issues have been disappointing to say the least).

I reviewed "Terminal Velocity" in issue #1600 of Comics Buyer's Guide, where writers were asked to come up with "1600 Comic Books You Need to Read." It was hard summing up such a story within the limited word count provided (concision is the rule of the day with these types of assignments), but here's what I wrote about this epic tale of action, adventure, intrigue, and romance:

By introducing the Speed Force in the highly energized "Terminal Velocity" storyline, Mark Waid gave an exciting, open-ended explanation for the existence of most of the super-speed characters within the DC Universe. Suddenly, Kid Flash's origin didn't seem to be such a ridiculous coincidence. "TV," which saw the further maturation of the series' title character, also served to cement one of the best, most fully realized romantic relationships in the history of super-hero comics: Wally West and Linda Park.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Sights and sounds (well, just sights, actually) from the Sci-Fi Expo, held in Plano (North of Dallas) on October 20-21. It was a special Star Wars 30th Anniversary edition of the convention, meaning lots of B-listers from the films were on hand meeting fans and signing autographs. I spent most of my time in the dealer's room, talking with friends and checking out the merchandise, but I managed to snap a few photos along the way.

Mathew "General Grievous" Wood with Darth Vader fan

Fans dressed as Corruscant Guards

David "Darth Vader" Prowse talking to a "Storm Trooper" and "Princess Leia"

Jeremy Bullock, who played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars

Daniel Logan (on the right), who played the young Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones

Friday, October 19, 2007

The fifth annual Wizard World Texas is just around the corner, taking place at the Arlington Convention Center from November 16-18. The “family-friendly pop culture extravaganza” is the biggest event of its type in North Texas and always boasts tons of new and old collectibles, including comic books, action figures, graphic novels, trading cards, and much more.

Monday, October 8, 2007

This guide appears to be a labor of love for Texas-based author Weiss, former owner of a comic-book store and self-proclaimed “video kid.” It is arranged alphabetically by console, with each chapter beginning with a description and history of the game system covered and including a complete and comprehensive listing of video games released for that console. Sixteen systems are explored in total, from Adventure Vision to Vectrex. The entries for the games are succinct, offering the publisher and developer of the game, the category (e.g., sports, board game, first-person shooter), and the release date. There is also a paragraph about each game with details about game play, the programmers involved, the game's relation to other games, and critical comments. An appendix covers home-brew titles, i.e., those created by fans and amateur programmers. The book has an excellent glossary and is well indexed. BOTTOM LINE The method of organization sets this work apart from other histories of video games and gives it worth as a reference resource. With interest in gaming remaining strong and owing to the nostalgia factor among Gen-Xers, this title is recommended for large public libraries.—Samantha Schmehl Hines, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula

Thursday, October 4, 2007

As most avid collectors know, the term “factory sealed” has an exalted level of significance, especially in terms of older items. The other day I was at The Movie Trading Company, browsing the vintage video game section (imagine that) and ran across a factory sealed Beauty & the Beast, one of my favorite Intellivision games and one of my favorite climbing games in general. I already own the game, of course, but I couldn’t resist buying a “new” copy (yes, there’s a seam running on back of the seal, meaning it is factory sealed and not simply re-shrink wrapped). The Intellivision take on the Beauty & the Beast theme has nothing to do with the movie, fairy tale, or TV show of the same name. Rather, it’s a Donkey Kong-inspired climbing game that is loads of fun.

Here’s my official review of the game:

Beauty & the Beast

Publisher: Imagic. Developer: Imagic.

Climbing, 1 player. 1982.

A fantastic alternative to the dreary Intellivision rendition of Donkey Kong, Beauty & Beast is one of the two or three slickest, most arcade-like games in the system’s entire library. Players guide a quickly moving character up the side of a multi-tiered skyscraper, walking across ledges and climbing up windows that open and close randomly. The goal is to reach the top, where a large, ape-like bully holds Mabel. Birds, rats, and boulders make things difficult, but they can be jumped over (in the case of the boulders and rats) or otherwise avoided. Mabel releases hearts, which can briefly make our hero invincible, making for a key strategy, especially in later levels. Reaching the top rewards players with a King Kong-like ending: the bully falling to his “death.” Other than Mabel, who is blocky and blue, the game looks great and has fantastic production values.

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About Me

A freelance writer, I'm the author of the Classic Home Video Games series, The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987, Encyclopedia of KISS, and other books. I've had articles published in numerous magazines and newspapers, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Filmfax, Fangoria, AntiqueWeek, The Writer, Mystery Scene, and more.
Contact me at brettw105 AT sbcglobal.net.